Material handling systems are used many different industries and often include complex packaging and conveyor systems that convey items quickly from one place to the next within a facility or multiple facilities. Labeling is often necessary to convey information about the items so that the items can be identified, categorized, and/or properly routed, among other reasons. Placing labels on items that are moving along a conveyance path within a material handling system presents unique challenges, which industry has sought to overcome by using complex electro-mechanical or electro-pneumatic systems that rely on many moving parts and a high degree of complexity. Examples of these existing systems include label applicators that use pneumatic cylinders to press labels on as the items go by and label applicators that employ complex arrangements of electrical motors and mechanical components to apply the labels to the items. Many such systems have numerous adjustment points. Moreover, in labeling devices that incorporate a printer, the label print speed must generally be matched to the speed of item conveyance for proper system operation.
It would be desirable to provide a label applying apparatus of reduced complexity in terms of operation or adjustment and/or a label applying apparatus that enables label print speed to vary from the conveyance speed of items being labeled.